A brush with the Unknown
by Belle Mort 13
Summary: Yugi Mouto at a young age solves a puzzle in a hospital lounge and by a quirk of fate attracts the attention of Whammy's house. Basically a Yugi goes to Whammy's story. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

This is a Yu-Gi-Oh Death-Note crossover.

Also I am feeling a bit eclectic with my writing at the moment so this will probably be an assorted mishmash of writing styles. I may even decide to write an entire chapter in limericks, or in old English. But I somehow doubt it.

The point I am trying to convey is that I am feeling slightly odd and my writing style may end up reflecting that oddness.

Sorry if I do something weird.

_**Now to the Important things!**_

1, This is a story!

2, The characters in this story with a few boring exceptions are not mine.

3, There Will be a Beginning to this story! In fact I believe there shall be quite a few beginnings.

4, Unlike with a lot of my previous works there will be a plot! [isn't it exciting!]

5, There Might be an ending to this story but it is just a little bit iffy.

_**Now for the over simplified summary:**_

Yugi Mouto at a young age solves a puzzle [Rubix Cube] and attracts the attention of Whammy house.

Basically Yugi goes to Whammy.

I am going to attempt to stay as true as possible to the cannon storyline.

Wow I suck at summaries.

Hope you enjoy.

**Also I have tidied up the first chapter a bit.**

Page break

'Yugi Mouto.' One of the nurses mused to herself as she filled out her paperwork. 'Was a strange child.'

About an hour ago an ambulance drivers had carried the kid into the hospital while following in the wake of a stretcher bearing an old man on it.

Apparently the boy's grandfather had picked him up from preschool and on the way home the brakes had unexpectedly failed.

The man had been immediately wheeled into the emergency room in critical condition. And because she was currently the most junior member of the staff she had been told to watch the kid while he was waiting.

Little Yugi had been checked out immediately and was fortunately emerged from the crash completely unharmed except for a small scratch on his arm that had promptly been covered with a band-aid.

But he was quiet and very still sitting on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, watching the floor as if it contained the secrets of the universe.

Still and quiet in a plain white t-shirt and jeans.

It was bothering her. The nurse nibbled on the end of her pen while she mused the conundrum set before her.

From her experience every other kid she had ever dealt with had always been moving bundles of energy, often loud moving bundles of energy, even the shy ones would fidget and become more active after a few minutes of sitting still.

But little Yugi Mouto was only seven years and he was probably bored stiff and likely fretting over his grandfather as well…

Her eyes drifted to the corner where a box of toys rested.

She made a snap decision and briskly got up from her desk to walk to the box of toys where she pulled out a toy at random.

Sandra then walked over to the boy who was still gazing at the floor and presented the child with the Rubix cube. Yugi who hadn't noticed her coming looked up startled and Sandra's breath caught in astonishment.

His eyes were purple, Lavender colored irises, but that wasn't possible. E looked away and she quickly decided that it was obviously a trick of the light, nobody actually had purple eyes they were just an unusual shade of blue that had caught the light strangely.

She swallowed shook off the confusion and patted his head. "Here you go dearie, have you ever used a Rubix cube before?"

One of the few other inhabitants of the hospital lounge looked over in vague interest as Yugi nodded shyly.

"Go on then why don't you show me." Sandra encouraged cheerfully.

Yugi smiled at her shyly then looked at the cube and started twisting, twelve seconds later he had it solved and was presenting it to her proudly.

Sandra just stared taken aback by the sheer speed.

The man on the other side of the room that had looked up earlier stood and walked over. "Hello child, can you do any other patterns?" The man asked kindly, the warm smile and the silver t the man's temples gave him a paternal aura that set the small boy immediately at ease.

Yugi nodded and smiled at the man happily.

Sandra however in contrast eyed the man suspiciously."Why don't you show the nice man a pattern?" She suggested lightly.

Yugi quickly rotated the cubes in various directions and quickly formed a pattern of lines on each side of the cube. The man nodded approvingly. "That is the Tom Parks's pattern do you know any more?"

"Yes mister would you like to see?" Yugi said quietly and started to work at the cube again with obvious eagerness when the man nodded.

Sandra frowned at him and the man seemed to suddenly realize how suspiciously he was acting. "Forgive me madam I must look rather suspicious."

He quickly pulled out his wallet and removed his ID which he passed to Sandra, he looking rather embarrassed. "I am a teacher at a private school for gifted children I am actually waiting on one of my students now."

Sandra immediately relaxed a little but some of the wariness remained despite the plausible excuse for the interest in Yugi as well as the proof of his identity before her. She regardless of private wariness nodded and reached down toruffle Yugi's hair when she saw that he was listening curiously to their conversation with the Rubix cube in his palm bearing different colored T shape's on each of its sides.

"Would you be able to watch him for a moment then please, I have some paperwork that needs to be properly filed."

The man nodded seriously and Sandra walked back to her desk to finish off her papers much more at ease now that she could work on those papers that she had been procrastinated on finishing, and attempt to forget those purple eyes.

Page break

Watari gestured towards the cube. "That pattern is called the six T's." Yugi beamed at him and fiddled for a few seconds before holding up another pattern. "Six Spot Pattern."

Yugi twisted the cube again.

"My name is Watari what is yours?"

"Yugi Mouto."

"It's nice to meet you Yugi, where are your parents?"

"Dead." Watari blinked startled in spite of himself.

"I am sorry to hear that."

"I live with my grandpa now." Yugi confided.

They were silent for a while except for the quiet murmurs of the names of each pattern. "Exchanged rings pattern."

"Python pattern."

"Cube in a cube pattern."

"Cube in a cube in a cube pattern."

"Stripes pattern."

"Checkerboards of order 6 pattern."

Watari removed his hat and set it on the seat beside him. "And where is your Grandpa?"

"In the operating room."

"Ahh."

That would explain why he was here, Watari thought to himself distractedly.

Yugi shyly looked up at Watari oblivious to the mans distraction.

"Hey mister would you like to see my treasure?" Watari blinked in surprise at the sudden change of topic but nodded expecting to be shown anything from a jar of buttons to a drawing of a tree.

Yugi swiftly passed him the cube now decorated with Christman's cross pattern and reached into his backpack pulling out something wrapped in a piece of cloth. He slowly unwrapped the object to reveal a golden box which he proceeded to hold out proudly for inspection. Watari gently took the box in his hands.

'It's real gold!' He thought in shock.

He looked startled at the boy sitting beside him. He had been expecting something like a favorite toy or collection not an actual treasure.

He slowly and carefully opened the lid of the box and frowned in confusion. It was a puzzle he was certain of it, a three dimensional puzzle made of pure gold. But… He carefully pulled out a piece and stared at it. It was tiny and covered in tiny scores and lines that would fit only one other piece in the box. And you would have to push them into place in the right angle in the right order for it to fit with another piece and there had to be over nine hundred pieces in the box.

He pulled out a larger piece and realized that it was the beginning of the puzzle, tiny pieces slotted together in impossible ways meshing so tightly that it appeared to be a single whole. It was dazzling in its complexity.

"Yugi where did you get this?"

"Grandpa gave it to me for my birthday; it says on the box if I finish it then it will grant me my wish." Watari looked at the box and saw a stylized eye surrounded by ancient Egyptian pictograms.

"Can you read this he asked absently?" Yugi looked at the man as if he was stupid.

"It's like a code game, if you learn the key then it's easy to read, besides grandpa gave me a big book filled with the code and another book to show me how to break it." Watari stared for a second then asked slowly. "Can you speak ancient Egyptian?"

Yugi gave him another strange look. "Why would I need to speak in a code to find out what was on the box?"

Watari sweatdropped. "Can you read what's on that sign there?"

"It says that we are on the third floor. Why?"

"How old are you?" Yugi grinned proudly and held up seven fingers.

"I turned seven two weeks ago!"

Watari's mind was racing. 'Seven years old and has mastered the Rubix cube and can read in two languages... maybe…'

"Yugi how many codes do you know?"

"Umm three I think?"

"What was the third?"

"Japanese, Egyptian and… English?"

Watari pulled a card out of his pocket and passed it to Yugi.

"What does this say?"

"Whammies home for gifted children phone number…"

'Ok then.' Watari made the mental adjustments. 'Can read three languages, I thought that maybe he might be one of them when I saw him solve that Rubix cube.

"Yugi I would like to ask you some questions is that ok?

"Ok."

Watari then proceeded to carefully question Yugi about his life. How long had he been living with his grandpa? What were his hobbies? What did he like to read? How did he like school? Why was that?

The more that he heard the more he realized that this child was perfect for whammies house.

Eventually however they were interrupted, Yugi was explaining that he didn't like school that much because most of the kids and teachers didn't like him.

"Watari?"

A child's voice interrupted Watari's next question, Yugi leaned around the older man to see who it was.

"Ah yes Mello, are you well now?" "I'm feeling sick and my arm hurts. Who's the kid?"

Yugi peered at the boy Mello. "Don't call me a kid I am almost the same age as you!"

"Yeah then why are you such a squirt?"

"Why is a tree purple?"

"Huh?"

"I win."

"Hey no fair!"

Yugi looked offended. "I never cheat."

Watari smiled.

'That settles it then.'

"Listen, please don't tell Mello or anyone else your name ok?"

"But why mister?"

"It's important, can I trust you not to tell?"

"Okay."

"Mello I am going to wait with this boy here until his grandfather wakes up."

"What!" Mello protested.

"Really?" Yugi asked hopefully at the same time.

Watari smiled down at the boy. "Yes."

"Why?" Mello piped in.

"Because I want to ask him some questions, why don't you two play together for a bit, I need to make a phone call." He left the room after signaling the lady at the desk that he was going outside.

Watari spoke quietly into the phone describing what he had discovered and what he was going to do next. He hung up and looked up at the sky for a moment in thought before turning and redirecting his gaze into the waiting room.

The woman that had been watching Yugi earlier was typing away at her computer oblivious to the two boys who had set themselves up in chairs opposite each other and watching each other suspiciously without talking.

He shook his head in exasperated fondness and went back inside so he could prevent any mishaps.

The doctor watched the man and two boys in slight confusion. "Have any of you seen a Yugi Mouto?"

"That's me." Yugi looked up at the tall man. "Is my grandpa ok?"

The man looked at his clipboard. "Your grandfather is fine; the operation was a success, with time he will make a complete recovery."

"Can I see him now please?"

"Yes, he should wake up any time now, but be careful with him he has a long recovery ahead."

"Kay, can mister Watari come as well?" The doctor threw a look at Sandra who nodded in confirmation her earlier misgivings forgotten.

"I suppose so."

Solomon Mouto slowly opened his eyes.

The ceiling was white he realized immediately, the ceiling in his room was pale green, white had always been too bright a shade to be seen first thing in the morning.

There were tubes, he realized numbly, in his arms and in his nose.

It wasn't the first time he had woken up in a hospital bed, so he put two and two together rather quickly but waking up after surgery, numb and light-headed with the painkillers…

Well it never got any easier.

'What happened?' he thought to himself. 'I drove into town, I picked up some groceries, then...' Panic blasted through his system and he could distantly hear a fast beeping and a nurse rushing towards him, but it didn't matter.

"Yugi." He rasped through a throat that felt like sandpaper.

"Is he ok?"

"Grandpa!"

As fast as the panic had come it dissipated.

"Yugi." His head cleared a little bit as he heard the nurse sigh in relief as his heart stopped its erratic panic induced thumping returning to a more sedate beat.

"Yugi are you ok?"

"I'm ok grandpa but the doctor said that you were very hurt." His head cleared a little more and turned his head to see Yugi looking at him in worry with a tall man and a white haired child standing beside him.

"I am fine Yugi, who are your friends?"

The white haired child interrupted. "Watari?"

"Yes Mello?

"I am just going to wait outside."

"Well if you are sure I suppose that should be alright."

"I am sure." He left the room without waiting for a reply.

"Forgive me Mr..."

"Call me Solomon."

"Mr Solomon your grandson is incredibly intelligent."

"... Umm."

Whatever Solomon had been expecting that had not been it but the man wasn't finished. "My name is Watari and I am a teacher at a boarding school/orphanage for gifted children and you grandson is... everything we look for in a student. I would like to offer him a place at the school."

Solomon stared for a while processing this information then shook his head immediately regretting it as the world spun and a headache appeared behind his eyes.

"Can you elaborate please? I am rather confused."

"Of course please forgive me." He pulled out his ID as well as some papers on the school from his briefcase and passed them to Solomon before continuing.

"Whammies House is meant for intelligent, gifted children like young Yugi here, we stress personal individuality and have a system in place in which we regularly assess students and change our teaching styles to match the way the student in question responds and learns best. The students also have the freedom to learn whatever they wish in addition to the basics."

The man says, eying Yugi thoughtfully before turning back to Solomon.

He spoke extensively about the orphanage, about the students, about the classes, about the recreational options, about the events.

Yugi would have his own room; he would be taught and would live in a manner created to best suit his requirements so that he can achieve the best possible results.

Yugi and his grandfather listened intently, not sure what to think about the whole strange situation.

"I believe he would be at home there." Watari finished explaining.

Solomon sat there thinking. At first he rejected the very idea of Yugi leaving but... A little voice in the back of his head pointed out all the issues that had arisen recently.

'He deserves better.' He realized.

A stab of pain hit him. 'I was looking at orphanages already. I am in no condition to raise a child. If this Watari man is for real Yugi is being offered a chance at a new life, a better life. I shouldn't hold Yugi back with my selfishness.'

Eventually Solomon looked up to where Watari was waiting patiently.

"I-I am not sure about this but..."

He lets out a deep sigh and looked startlingly old.

"I have already raised my child and buried both her and her husband and after that I had to bury my wife as well, I love my grandson but I am in all honesty too old to be raising Yugi, there was nowhere else he could go once his parents... I have been half expecting child services to show up for a while saying I am unable to raise him properly. And now with this accident who will take care of Yugi while I am stuck in hospital and recovering? Besides I don't know how long I am going to live and as such was already looking into various institutions just in case. I am thinking about this only because it may be what's best for him."

He suddenly looked much older and much more tired.

"I will need to see some more paper work and such things to make sure this is completely on the level, but ultimately the decision is up to Yugi."

"Yugi? What do you think?" Watari asked gently.

"I don't know." Yugi hesitated looking at his grandfather before asking Watari nervously.

"What if I'm weird?"He asked softly, thinking about the way people didn't seem to like to be near him. Everyone would be nice at first but eventually they began to look uncomfortable and left. They never came near him again not after the first time and they didn't even seem to notice.

But the bullies noticed. The bullies always noticed everything.

"What if people don't like me?"

Watari smiled. "Don't worry you will fit in just fine."

Yugi looked up at Watari in awe.

'I would like that.' He realized. 'To fit in, to be around people that are different from other people. But.'

Yugi looked at his grandfather. 'I don't want grandpa to be lonely.'

Solomon realized what Yugi was feeling and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Yugi, I want you to know that I would miss you but... this might be better. This is a huge opportunity." Yugi paused unsure.

"Can I have raspberries at the Wammy's House?" He asked hopefully. Grandpa rarely had raspberries.

A shiver ran down the Watari's spine, that question sounded strangely familiar. "You can have all the Raspberries you want." He answered quietly.

Yugi turned to grandpa. "Can I visit grandpa?"

Watari tensed. "About the location..."

Solomon looked down at the information sheet. "England." He stated taken aback.

Watari looked uncomfortable. "Yes."

"That might be..." Solomon winced. "I have friends in England." Solomon began slowly. "How about a trial run If Yugi likes it he can stay and if he doesn't we will deal with it." He watched Watari as he continued. "If something goes wrong he can stay with my friends until I can come and bring him home."

"That sounds reasonable." Watari decided after a moment's thought.

"I will return in a moment with the necessary paperwork." Watari nodded to Yugi and Solomon in turn before moving towards the door.

"Well?" Mello asked as he walked through the door.

"His grandfather has agreed."

"What would you have done if he hadn't?" Watari looked at Mello's poker face.

"Yugi would have come to Whammy's anyway." He sighed defeated as usual by the small genius before he had even started the conversation.

"I knew that." Mello argued. "But how would you do it?"

"I wouldn't, something would have eventually happened and Solomon would call the number on the card." Mello nodded.

"And he would be told that if he wants the offer was still open to go to Whammy House." Watari looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It is true though, He truly tries but Solomon is a bit too old and frail to raise a child properly and by the time Yugi is seventeen the man will be forgetting his own name."

The two of them walked on in silence heading to retrieve the papers that would deliver Yugi from the care of his grandfather into the hands of Whammy's.

Hope you enjoyed

Blessed Be

From Belle Mort


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own neither Death-Note nor do I own Yu-gi-oh I have never claimed differently; I'm just borrowing the characters so I can screw with their heads for a while.

This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Waves cheerfully at muttering lawyers.

I am going to make this very clear from the beginning.

I am not planning on adding a pairing to this story this means that unless I change my mind there will be NO romance.

BUT if I do change my mind the pairing will be slash.

I am NOT under any circumstances making this story Het.

If you do not like that then I apologize but it will most likely have no romantic sub-plot anyway.

now that that is over I hope you enjoy.

Page Break

Once Yugi had gotten off the plane the man from the hospital had introduced him to a man who didn't have a name and was told that he would take him to the House.

The pleasant but quiet, nameless man had opened the backseat door of a big shiny black car and Yugi had tentatively climbed inside. It smelled of fresh leather, and he almost didn't want to touch anything, afraid he might get it dirty.

The door shut behind him and Yugi burrowed down into the seats as much as possible, feeling apprehensive. There was a strip of mirror that separated the backseat from the front like a wall, it made him uncomfortable.

The man at the airport had also told him not to tell anyone his name.

"This place is different from most."

He spoke quietly and carefully.

"Before you make the decision about what you want everyone to know you by, don't say your name."

"Why not?"

"Because ordinary people only get one identity and you now have the option to have several."

Yugi asked the man for more information but the man just shakes his head.

"No I have told you enough."

The man hadn't said anything more after that and since Yugi had been a bit too uncomfortable on the plane to sleep so five minutes into the car ride to the house he had been overtaken by the combination of comfortable seats, perfect suspension and jet lag.

The bit of mirror slid down.

"We are here."

A gentle male voice came from the front of the car.

Yugi sluggishly sat up yawning from where he had been sleeping on the back seat.

He rubbed his eyes and crawled forwards enough to see through the front window.

There was a pair of huge wrought iron gates with old but solid brick walls on either side.

As they pulled closer to the gates Yugi could see a huge old fashioned mansion made of white stone surrounded by beautiful gardens and manicured lawns. Still agelessly beautiful despite the heavy storm clouds overhead.

"That's Whammy's house."

The driver said smiling at Yugi's wide eyed look of wonder.

Page Break

_Matt. I want you to greet a new member of Wammy's House this afternoon._

Matt sighed in exasperation as the car pulled up in front of the house and the driver opened the back door to let the kid out.

His eyes strayed back to the electronic game in his hands and he reluctantly clicked save and closed it before tucking it back into his pocket.

'Darn I was just getting to the good bit.'

The mourned the time that would be spent away from his controller.

He looked at the kid.

Two big amethyst-colored eyes set in a pale face blinked up at him.

'Ok the kid has interesting hair…'

Matt smiled casually at him, noting how small the boy was and the guardedness in his purple eyes.

"Can you speak English?"

Yugi nodded slowly looking around nervously.

"That's good it will make things a lot easier. Well, I'm Matt. Roger told me to come pick show you round."

He kept his voice light and his stance unguarded, trying to set the boy at ease.

It seemed to work as the kids seemed to relax a little.

"I suppose you don't have a name yet?"

"The man said not to tell my name."

Matt nodded.

"He was right, you wouldn't be able to believe what some people can do with only a name."

"But the man said your name was Matt?"

"Yeah but Matt's not my real name."

"Oh."

Yugi nodded, looking a little confused.

Matt sighed.

This was obviously going to be one of the more difficult ones.

The kids voice when he spoke was almost a whisper, and he looked like he felt out of his depth by miles and miles. Maybe he was yet another one of those reclusive little genii like that kid Near or any number of other kids here.

It wasn't that Matt didn't know how to handle that, of course. He had managed to befriend several of the more anti-social brats over the years including his crowning glory, standing in testament to his patience aka, Mello.

He was a little surprised by how polite Yugi was, though. But then, spending time with Mello his perception of politeness was probably more than slightly screwed up.

Roger had told him to give the Kid the guiding tour then take him to his room so that he could unpack but apart from that somewhat ambiguous schedule no instructions.

"So, how much do you know about Wammy's House?"

The boy frowned before answering, still in a whispery tone.

"Nothing."

Security was supremely important , so Matt understood, but still once again he was the one who had to explain everything to yet another new kid.

Darn it.

"Wammy's House is owned by Quillish Whammy, the orphanage is specifically for the gifted. You work at your own level, the better you do the more opportunities you have. Currently the orphanage holds 37 residents.

Matt threw a smile at him.

"I suppose we have four main categories: those who just want to learn, those who want to master their own particular field or fields, those who are already working in their trades but want to continue to learn and then there are the letters.

"Letters?"

"Yeah that's for people who want to become investigators and such in order to succeed 'L'. It's just for the top ranked residents anyway.

So you have a choice. I can show you to your room and show you around later or I can give you the tour now."

"I would like to see where I will be staying if that's ok?"

Matt nodded and just kept walking.

"Listen things are probably different here from what you're used to so I am going to warn you ok?"

Yugi nodded feeling inexplicably nervous.

"You will never be treated as anything less than a fully functional adult here. Nobody is going to hold your hand, so don't expect anything to be easier because of your age. If you want something ask a caretaker but don't bother any of the residents. Do you understand?"

Yugi nodded.

"Caretaker?"

"Any of the adults wearing blue wristbands. Basically they take care of all kids here- which is a full-time job by itself-, cleaning, go shopping, arrange trips etc. The red wristbands are the teachers."

Yugi nodded in understanding.

"Also... Take your time deciding on your name you have to be fully happy with your choice and it has to fit you and finding that name can take a long time."

"Matt?"

"Yeah I know but it does have some meaning to me."

Yugi smiled at Matt.

"Thank you."

Matt nodded.

And stopped beside a white door.

Matt nodded towards it.

"That door next to you leads to your room the movers put the boxes with your things in them in there yesterday."

Matt frowned as the kid rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I ate on the plane thank you."

"Best just get to bed then, I will come around at nine tomorrow morning."

"Thank you for showing me to my room."

"Good night kid and welcome to Whammy's."

He walked off and Yugi watched him leave for a moment before he moved into his room.

The next day Matt showed up at his door at nine o'clock dragging Mello by the arm behind him.

Page break

"Can I come in?"

Yugi looked between the two trying really hard not to laugh.

Mello was struggling to get away while matt kept him easily beside him by holding his elbow.

Mello was pouting furiously.

"Sure make yourselves at home."

He offered politely.

Mello stopped trying to get away and pushed past Yugi into his room.

Mello stared and when Matt entered he looked surprised as well.

There were puzzles everywhere.

Everywhere.

Puzzle boxes, cubes, knots, impossible puzzles, logic puzzles, timing puzzles, stars of David, three dimensional puzzles, picture puzzle's and more.

Yugi was feeling distinctly uncomfortable as Mello wandered his room staring then poking everything he found.

Matt had masked his confusion and now was just observing.

'Oh for goodness sake!'

Yugi thought to himself in exasperation.

"I am going to just assume you like to occupy your hands and your mind and leave it at that."

Matt stated blandly before retrieving Mello once again getting him in an elbow lock.

"We came to show you where to get food."

"Tomorrow one of the teachers will take you to get tested."

Mello chimed over his shoulder.

Yugi stiffened at the idea of a test.

"Relax idiot it's just a test."

'Darn it, I shouldn't have come here, they are probably going to take one look at my results and decide they made a mistake and I will be sent home.'

Yugi started panicking quietly.

Matt sighed in sympathy.

"It's an aptitude test."

Yugi looked up from where he had started to hyperventilate.

Matt elaborated.

"It's only a ranking test. They will ask you questions and give you problems and puzzles to solve to decide your place in the school, Because your new here you are ranked at the very bottom you take the test and they change the ranking its nothing to get worried over."

Matt paused.

"Unless you have been here for a couple of months and haven't learnt anything, then you can start to worry."

Mello sniggered.

"Yeah but that hasn't happened in forever! I mean, you would have to be a complete idiot to not learn anything at all. Are you a complete idiot?"

"No I am not."

Yugi snapped at him.

Mello grinned.

'Darn it, I let him get to me; I suppose I feel a bit better... But still!'

Yugi's stomach rumbled.

"Food."

Matt decided and dragged Mello out the door.

Yugi hesitated for a second before followed them out, closing the door behind him with a dull clacking sound.

'Maybe I will like it here after all...'

He mused while he wandered after Matt and Mello who was screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs.

A smile found its way to his lips.

Page Break

Mello and Matt had finished breakfast and Matt had wandered off muttering something about beating a level.

Mello had been subsequently dragged off by a woman in a white coat to a science lesson.

The man who had served breakfast had asked him what he wanted before just handed him a bowl of raspberries and told him that eventually somebody would come and find him for his test and not worry too much about it.

So now he was sitting down eating his raspberries while a scary boy stared at him from the other side of the table.

"You're new."

The scary kid observed.

Yugi cautiously nodded from where he was carefully dividing his Raspberry into individual segments.

"What can I call you without getting in trouble?"

Yugi shrunk into himself.

"Well?

"I don't have a name yet sorry."

The frightening kid raised an eyebrow.

"Oh how lamentable it is to have no name! Shall your name then be Lament? Or shall it be Nameless? Or since you have no name perhaps you shall be known as Nobody?"

He looked at Yugi bored.

"Oh Woe what shall I call you then, Oh woe is me, Oh woe is you... Woe to yo mama?"

'Maybe he is insane' Yugi thought in confusion, it made perfect sense until you added in one problem there was complete and utter sanity shining in his red eyes

Behind the look of sadistic amusement of course.

'So that destroys that theory.'

"You're playing with me."

Yugi rebuked.

"Kitten has teeth."

The boy laughed maliciously he looked directly into Yugi's eyes in an obvious intimidation tactic his head tilted childishly to one side.

'His eyes are as red as blood'

Yugi noticed.

Somehow the more he looked at his red eyes the less frightened he became somehow they seemed sort of familiar.

Beyond looked vaguely interested now.

"You aren't as wimpy as you look then."

He ignored Yugi's spluttering and asked.

"How do you like the house?"

Yugi gave Beyond a look before thinking about it.

"It's different."

The Beyond laughed in delight.

"Different, I like that description."

"What's your name then?"

"Beyond Birthday."

"Why?"

"Because Beyond Birthday is the name I choose to go by."

"…Okay."

"You can call me Beyond."

He decided before he stood up.

"Oh and please pick a name soon I want to know who you are."

Paage Break

He liked Whammy House Yugi decided with some surprise.

Unless he approached people they tended to leave him alone but Yugi doesn't mind it.

Actually it was the best situation he could think off.

At his previous school people had avoided him.

Some because they just didn't care. Quite a few because they didn't want to draw attention from the bullies who had seen Yugi as a major target from the very start but most avoided him because they thought he was just weird.

These kids didn't whisper about him or give him a large berth to avoid touching him; they didn't stare at him or go out of their way to avoid him.

They were just… indifferent to him.

Aside from some inquisitive glances because he was the new kid he was ignored.

He had even found some puzzles he had never seen before in his life to play with.

Yugi fiddled with one of the puzzle piece's sitting on the ground in front of him, his ankles folded and his shoulders hunched.

That was another thing he liked, nobody here bothered him when he hunched over a puzzle.

He felt weird though, like his stomach was empty and as if all the colours in the world were all wrong. It was like there was a big hole inside his chest, filled with stuff that didn't belong there.

For some reason it helped to play with puzzles.

It had been easy to ignore it when he had been with his Grandpa.

Grandpa shouldn't know about the ache because it would just make him worry.

Yugi hated it when people worried about him.

So he pretended that everything was ok, and after a while he had even managed to convince himself that there was nothing wrong.

But now Grandpa wasn't here and he didn't have to pretend.

So it had come back.

He didn't dislike the sensation it was just something that was a part of who he was, it had been a part of him since before he could remember, He knew it wasn't normal because it didn't feel right, Not bad just not right either, like a puzzle with a missing piece right in the middle.*

Unfinished and empty.

He didn't say anything but every moment he was there he felt more and more certain that nobody would even care that he wasn't quite right inside.

So when he dropped his shield and dropped the last of his pretence.

Nobody noticed.

Page Break

Yugi didn't know what name to use.

He was indecisive about how he felt towards the idea of the fake names; none of the other people he had met in England had wanted to go by their real names.

And everyone was expecting him to pick a fake name for himself so that they could call him something.

He would've felt more comfortable using the real names.

The whole alias thing felt too much like a form of deceit.

Yugi believed in honesty

Page Break

"It's because they don't want loose ends,"

The boy called 'L' explains without looking up from his book.

"When we leave the house, they don't want us to be tied here."

"Why is that so important?"

"Because we will be important people one day. And if they trace us to a place like this it would cause problems,"

The boy answers and looks up.

He has a black tangled hair and wide eyes seeing everything at once with black smudges beneath them.

"And if we go bad, the Wammy's House doesn't want to be connected to us."

Page Break

Yugi immediately understood instinctively that if the kids of Wammy's House went bad, they would go bad in massive ways.

They were all geniuses of some sort here.

And Genius's were like fire.

Fire could keep people warm give them a way to cook their food and make life a lot easier but it could also explode into an inferno and set the world alight.

He didn't care about that, though. He didn't even believe in good or bad not really. He had seen too much blood in his dreams to believe in it.**

When it all came down to it there wasn't much difference.

Page Break

"So have you picked a name yet?"

He nodded.

He had thought about it all night.

He had been feeling instinctively that it would be easier if he had a name before the test.

Mello whistled.

"That was quick, come on what is it?"

Yugi hesitated self-consciously.

"Lament Labyrinth."

Matt nodded thoughtfully.

"It's not that bad actually, can I call you Lament?"

Lament nodded marginally more at ease.

"You don't think it sounds stupid?"

"No, it suits you."

Matt interjected.

"Thanks."

"Why Labyrinth?"

Mello asked curiously.

Lament shrugged.

"It's a puzzle that's designed to trap something. It just seemed to fit somehow."***

Matt nodded.

"And Lament?"

"I... I don't actually know Beyond suggested it and it felt right."

"Beyond Birthday suggested Lament?"

Lament nodded.

"I just changed my mind; you should pick a different name."

Mello decided crisply

And after a seconds thought Matt nodded in reluctant agreement

"Why."

"'B, B' is dangerous we all stay away from him."

"Everyone?"

Lament asked with an unpleasant feeling of déjà vu.

"Everyone, well... Everyone except 'L' but he doesn't really count."

"'L'?"

"He is ranked first. 'A' is ranked second and Beyond is ranked third."

Mello shivered.

"He could have been second but he likes to watch 'A' break down slowly under the pressure of staying ahead of him."

"I am keeping the name thanks."

"Well if you're sure..."

Matt looked around again searching for a different topic of conversation, hopefully one that wouldn't end up straying into uncomfortable territory.

"I am feeling hungry, either of you want lunch?"

"OOOOH Chocolate!"

Mello bounced up and down on his seat dropping his bad attitude in his sheer enthusiasm.

"I… I would like some raspberries."

Lament added shyly.

"Let's go then."

Matt wandered down the hallway obediently followed by his 'friends'.

Page Break

Lament took the IQ test the next day.

He was quietly escorted to a room on the third floor with white walls white carpet and grey furniture.

And three hours later he left the room feeling confused.

"How was it?"

He turned to see 'L' standing beside the door he had just walked through.

"I don't know."

Lament replied honestly.

"It wasn't what I expected."

'L' shrugged his glassy black eyes staring forwards emotionlessly.

"The test changes from person to person to reflect their talents."

'L' turned the other way.

"Your results will show up tomorrow."

Lament watched him walk away before shrugging.

One of the examiners had mentioned a library.

Page Break

Beyond sat down opposite him on the small table looking curiously at the book Lament was holding.

"They are putting up the rankings."

He said his gaze fixed determinedly just above Laments head.

"Have you addressed your lamentable lack of a name yet?"

"Lament."

Beyond looked amused.

"Taking my suggestion."

"Yes."

"Smart and stupid at the same time."

"Oxymoron."

Lament retorted pulling a raspberry apart into individual segments before eating them one by one.

Beyond watched for a few moments before shrugging and pulling a jar of blueberry jam out of his pocket as well as a spoon.

They quietly ate together in a circle of silence both of them given a large berth by the other kids.

'No'

Yugi thought to himself.

'This is good, this will work.'

When they had both finished Beyond stood up and gestured for Lament to follow him.

"I will show you around."

And he did.

Page break

It turned out Lament was ranked thirteenth.

He was happy with that.

It seemed to suit him with the same uncomfortable perfect fit that was part of the rest of the house.

So when 'L' came to congratulate him he started to laugh.

He laughed until there were tears in his eyes and he couldn't breathe without his ribs aching.

"Thank you."

He finally managed.

'L' nodded.

"I am glad you understand already."

Lament just smiled.

Page Break

Genii = Plural of genius

*the kid only has half a soul, that has to have some form of effect, and being a hikary he would naturally think of others comfort before his own.

** residual memories from Egypt I will explain latter.

***[Snigger] I couldn't resist sorry.

Ok second chapter up!

Hope you enjoyed

Blessed Be

From Belle M


	3. Chapter 3

Oh I forgot to mention this before!

I am making Yami's past significantly more dark and gruesome than is traditional.

Thanks to everyone on your wonderful reviews, story subscriptions, ect.

I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me.

I own neither Yu-Gi-Oh nor Death-Note but I wish I did.

so with that out of the way I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Page break

In the center of a dark windowless room, Lament was busy.

Technically it wasn't windowless but he had earlier gotten a large piece of plywood and eliminated the source of natural light.

Massive sheets of parchment and paper, pilfered from the workshop classroom, now covered the walls of his study alcove in an abandoned room near the back of the house. A multitude of sketches, drawings and designs filled the sheets. Every image was the eerily similar but completely different, linked together to greater or lesser degrees, all based on the clearest image in Laments head.

His puzzle.

His pen was rolling over the papyrus that he had acquired on a whim, creating a complex lattice of lines and swirls on the paper in dark blue ink. Occasionally, he would consult another roll of paper curled up by his knees before adding another strand to the already complex design.

And every now and then he would reach over and pull out the golden box and stare at the pieces for a moment before putting it back down and continuing his work.

The desk was littered to overflowing with yet more parchment, more paper, filled with more sketches, more drawings and yet more designs. While not labeled or ordered in any way, it was obvious which works were older and which were more recent, as the detail displayed in them grew progressively more intricate, more complex.

As he worked, he deconstructed the image from his memory, and he was slowly beginning to understand. The more time he spent on it, the closer he came to grasping the concept behind its function. But still, something was missing. Some part of the design was eluding him, hovering just beyond the edges of his perception.

So he kept sketching.

It was the middle of the night now and there was nothing else he could use to occupy himself. While holding up another sheet and absentmindedly biting the end of his pencil he frowns as he gently ran his fingers through the contents of the box.

Usually touching the gold pieces was enough to make things stop bothering him but it wasn't working. Why not?

"Lament?"

A quiet voice interrupts his thoughts and he looks up to see one of the many other occupants of Whammy's and one of the most interesting one's as well.

"You… cannot sleep either?"

"I think I could sleep if I wanted to,"

Lament answers after a moment of thought, tilting his head a little bit in order to think about the words more closely.

"I'm not insomniac."

L hunched his shoulders and peered at Lament from beneath this fringe.

"Nightmares?"

No. They weren't nightmares.

But he hated sleeping because when he fell asleep he was haunted by the 'not memories' and broken fragments of a life he had never lived that danced away and faded before he could decipher them and splashes of blood...

Lament looks away, fiddling with a golden shard, and wonders about it.

It was connected to the wrongness. Maybe it was an illness. More likely it was some form of madness that made some part of him remain missing and broken.

"I don't get nightmares,"

He just answers, turning his eyes back to the papyrus and adding an extra line.

They have never really been nightmares. You fear nightmares, after all. He has long since gotten used to the blood and dead bodies.

L doesn't answer maybe he sees it as waste of effort. He steps closer for a moment, crouching down beside the other orphan and looking at the papyrus.

"It's beautiful."

"It's broken."

Lament retorts.

A thoughtful look crossed the other boys face.

"Yes but being shattered only adds to its beauty."

"It wants to be whole."

"Then will it ever be fixed?"

"Once something is broken it will never be fully whole again, the cracks would still remain and make it fragile."

The look L gives Lament is thoughtful and ponderous, almost analytic, his brilliant mind trying to decipher the hidden meaning looking at a thousand million different possibilities.

Eventually he stands up again and silently crouches on a chair to watch him work.

Lament looks down to the pieces of the artifact, and in his mind's eye sees instead observes broken and torn bodies.

Page Break

"This house breaks people."

Beyond confided, a coldly amused look on his face that as usual didn't reach his oddly comforting red eyes.

"And if you aren't at the top you are at risk so they run through the labyrinth and try to cut you off in your path to reach a better position and if you show a hint of weakness you will be crushed as the walls close in behind you. And the ones at the top…"

He paused.

"Maybe they feel stressed?"

He shrugged dismissively.

"Anyway nobody wants to lose."

Lament shuddered.

"Lose what?"

"No one knows and I don't care really it's irrelevant."

Lament nodded.

He understood that.

The thought of losing something, anything, ripped through him with a terrible sense of utter wrongness, he wasn't competitive or anything and if he did lose it wouldn't be the end of the world but still…

He hadn't lost anything yet.

Beyond gazed at him with blank dead eyes and a secretive smirk on his lips.

Page break

There was something wrong about Wammy's House.

Some part of the story was hidden

Like a puzzle.

Lament liked puzzles but the second he realized the answer he hated himself for not seeing it sooner.

It was a factory.

A sweatshop.

And the product being churned out was children.

The house itself was huge and magnificent; its residents were allowed to do almost anything they pleased, as long as they did well in their studies.

They were being trained and taught for the needs of the future population.

They were being sheltered nurtured and protected past the point of imprisonment, held in a silken cage, a prison made of expectations and paper.

And it was killing them all.

The ones near the bottom slowly.

And the ones near the top oh so much faster.

The stress, the potential, the fact that in spite of everything they were still just children.

The human mind can only take so much pressure.

And often the pressure will crush.

But sometimes it will create a diamond.

Wammy's House and the caretakers were practically murdering the kids in front of his eyes in slow agonizing deaths from pressure.

The orphanage is driving them all to insanity.

Lament however didn't really care.

It felt good to finally be in a place that fit him so perfectly and so horribly painfully wrong at the same time.

Even if it was killing them.

Page Break

Lament had been a resident of the house for just over a month when he decided that he was going to stay.

In Wammy's House, there were no real classrooms or such, but there are lessons.

They were all private lessons held one-on-one. Lament found he was happier with this as he learnt more than he had before, and he got to choose what he wanted to learn.

And that was important.

If the fact that he studies things like criminal psychology, anatomy and the history of war and battle tactics bothered his teachers, they never showed it.

The only rules behind the classes were:

You needed classes in one language, one physical activity and one musical instrument. But this was solved easily with French, yoga and the harp.

He was more comfortable here.

And he was somehow more at peace.

So when he sent a letter to his grandfather saying that he would be remaining in England indefinitely he sends it without regrets.

Page break

Lament liked the library of Wammy's House and the fact that they always make sure there is a container of raspberries in a small fridge behind the desk kept especially for him.

And there were always interesting books on the shelves, and if they didn't have something you wanted the caretakers would order it in.

It was quiet and peaceful with the temperature monitored so it was always pleasant.

And the really comfortable chairs helped as well.

"They said you were good at games."

Lament looked up startled from the large tome balanced precariously on his knees, only to be met with the cool gaze of a reclusive insomniac.

"I'm not bad."

Lament tried cautiously.

"Will you play a game of chess with me? I am having trouble figuring something out and I need to concentrate on something else."

'L' looked mildly uncomfortable for a moment before schooling his features back into his default expression.

"Ok."

'L' looked up sharply placed the game board on the table and moved to sit opposite Lament.

He handed Lament the black pieces.

They began setting up the board.

'L' after a few moments moved his first piece out to the center of the board, the white pawn shining on it's black square.

Lament moved his king's knight.

'L' raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected tactic.

This was going to be interesting.

Five moves later

'L' started taking Lament seriously.

_Click._

_Click._

_Click._

All that was heard for a while in the room was the soft click of the chess pieces being placed on the board and the silence in between moves.

Both players indulging in long pauses between their moves, both were trying to see ten steps ahead of the other.

The black vs. white battle grew neither side giving up a single piece advancing and retreating.

Until…

"Check mate."

Lament spoke softly.

'L' flicked over his king staring at Lament contemplatively.

"Did you find out your answer?"

Lament asked politely.

"No, but it was a good game."

Lament spent quite a while staring at the chess board after 'L' Left.

The game may not have helped the insomniac genius but it had helped him quite a bit.

He stood up and made his way towards the door.

He was now sure he knew where that one tricky piece went.

Page break

Beyond birthday was bored.

And when he was bored people tended to avoid him.

So he was bored and had nothing with which to amuse himself.

He hummed to himself.

It was 'L's birthday tomorrow.

And nobody knew but him.

He grinned evilly making a group of caretakers shudder and move past faster."

Every year he would do something for 'L' on his birthday and every year 'L' would be spooked that he knew what day it was, it never failed to cause Beyond amusement.

His thoughts strayed… Lament would be playing with his puzzle his pretty puzzle with the broken numbers hovering over it but no letters, no name.

"Alive but in frozen pieces alive with no name."

And little Lament himself with the frozen numbers and the unreadable name.

His name was in strange letters that Beyond couldn't read and his numbers frozen never moving never getting closer to death.

The younger kids at Whammy's had started to call him Labyrinth instead of Lament and they said he couldn't lose a game.

Beyond wondered what Lament Labyrinth would do for 'L's birthday.

He decided to go visit the library he felt a sudden craving for raspberry jam.

Page break

Lament sat curled up in a chair in the library a book on ancient Greek battle tactics resting on his knees and a bowl of raspberries sitting on the table beside him.

"Jam?"

Lament looked up to see beyond calmly holding out a jar of raspberry jam to him with a spoon and holding another to his chest.

"Okay."

Lament looked at the jam and slowly unscrewed the lid and transferred a spoonful to his mouth.

"Hmmm."

Lament hummed at the taste and lifted a second spoonful.

For a while they ate in silence.

"It is 'L's birthday tomorrow."

"You want me to know?"

"Yes."

"Ah."

Lament looked at Beyond and was as usual calmed by the sight of his blood red eyes.

There was silence again.

Lament watched Beyond eat his jam slowly.

"Do many people know?"

"No one else knows his birthday and he prefer s it that way. He doesn't know how I know and I promised I wouldn't tell without due cause."

"You are telling me?"

"Yes."

"Most people get others presents on their birthday."

Beyond looked at lament thoughtfully.

"The present would have to be unusual to capture 'L's attention for any length of time…it would also need to solve a purpose to avoid becoming obsolete."

He walked off leaving Lament watching his retreating back thoughtfully as he finished off the small jar of jam.

"Okay then."

Page break

Lament knocked.

It was around two in the morning but 'L' didn't sleep so it should be fine.

The door opened and a black haired head peered around the corner.

"How can I help you Lament?"

Lament gently pushed the door open enough to move past 'L' into the room.

He promptly ignored the diagrams, printouts, maps and documents tacked on to every surface including the ceiling as well as the open laptop and seated himself cheerfully on the end of 'L's bed.

'L' stayed beside the door looking at him curiously.

"Happy Birthday."

'L' stiffened in discomfort and closed the door.

"Thank you."

He sat down in front of his laptop and continued typing as Lament lay down on the bed and stared at the diagrams on the ceiling.

"Beyond told you."

"Yes."

"I don't suppose he told you how he knew?"

"No."

"He said that he wouldn't tell anyone."

"He told me."

'L' Nodded and continued typing, while Lament reached over and picked up one of 'L's books and began to read.

Page break

Around noon there was another knock on the door.

'L' cast a meaningful glance at Lament who in turn put down the puzzle and paper he had returned to his room for and opened the door for Beyond.

"Chocolate and raspberry sponge cake with jam filling."

'L' immediately stood and got some plates from the cupboard.

Lament served and they ate together.

"You told Lament?"

Beyond nodded around his cake.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to."

"I will not tell anybody without due cause."

'L' looked at Lament in exasperation.

"Fine then."

Lament smiled at Beyond who rolled his eyes.

End of chapter

Okay that concludes this particular chapter.

I am sorry about the haphazardness of the updates but I have been kinda busy lately.

Hope you enjoyed.

And if you review you Rock! But if you don't I understand that it is your choice and you rock anyway for reading this.

Blessed Be

from Belle Mort


	4. Chapter 4

A brush with the unknown, Chapter four

**Set one year and seven months after the last chapter**

I am really sorry about how late this is. It seems like every time I get a chance to sit down and write something happens. Add that to exams and you have a bit of a mess.

Thank you for being so patient everything has been dealt with so I should be able to churn out a few chapters before the metaphorical fan encounters some more metaphorical waste.

THIS IS THE CHAPTER WHERE THE PLOT OFFICALY STARTS! Yay

If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh and or Death-Note I swear there would be more of Bakura and Beyond respectively in each, but I don't and so there isn't.

I hope you enjoy and thanks to all of you reviewers, you are angels. I swear it.

Page break

A quiet beeping sounded from 'L's laptop.

'L' gritted his teeth in impatience, and Lament looked up curiously from where he had seated himself uninvited against the wall.

"Another one has been found in the exact same situation curled up beside the game board. The suspect claims to have no idea why this keeps happening and judging by his hysterics he is either the world's greatest actor or he is telling the truth."

Lament exhaled.

"Why do you keep telling me about this one again?" He tried asking.

"Because this is the one case I am having genuine problems figuring out, most cases are open then close. The perpetrator is usually easy to find for anyone with a half inch of common sense."

'L' leveled his flat gaze at the intruder to his solitude. "You are good with puzzles, you are continuously found inside my room in spite of my lock changes and you have a mind that works differently from my own."

"If you wanted to be rid of my presence in your room you could ask me to leave and if you were trying to hint then you shouldn't have used such pathetic security. And besides that you may have noticed I am not one of your 'letters' and I have no interest in anything involving such matters of legality."

"But you are interested in the supernatural."

"And I conclude that in most instances things deemed supernatural are in truth easily explained scientific phenomena. And this is usually the case in any form of situation involving you."

"And what if I were to claim to be at my figurative wits end and am willing to conclude to the situation being supernatural in origin. Once you eliminate the impossible, _**whatever**_ remains, no matter how _**improbable**_,_**must be the truth**_ and as such need somebody who is easily accessible at all times who is better versed in the subject than myself?"

"And if this somebody was unavailable?"

"I would be forced to conclude myself unsuited to such work, declare it to be the work of unexplainable phenomena and closed case." Lament winced, that sort of conclusion to a case he had invested so much time and effort in would make 'L' difficult to associate with for months afterwards.

"And I would of course be furious with who ever could have been in a position to help… and then didn't" Well that settled that then.

"Fine then, get me a printout of all the case details and I will see what I can do."

'L' nodded in satisfaction and turned back to his laptop.

Lament grinned, this did have its perks though.

"So does this mean I now have actual permission to be in here?"

'L' froze momentarily in place before slowly lowering his head to rest against his paper strewn desk while Lament grinned manically from his place against the wall.

"You know I think I will defiantly need to have my own chair… I wonder if the librarian would mind if I took one from the library."

Page break

He was like a broken china figurine.

The guard faced the room with his back against the door and tried to suppress his shiver.

That was all the man could think about the tiny albino child that he was charged to watch. A china figurine, because no human child was that polite, or that still.

And quite frankly a little too pretty to be a real boy.

The small child, with the albino skin and hair, the big, faintly Asian, brown eyes, the quiet polite voice with the strong British accent that only appeared when he was spoken to… he was to quiet and to still, his eyes were too large and knowing, and a little bit too scared as well.

And broken because damaged was not quite right.

He might've been perfect upon birth, but then life twisted him somehow.

Until all that was left was this empty, beautiful child staring quietly at the wall inside the questioning rooms being watched by a guard that wished desperately that he was far away and had a glass of something strong to help him forget.

Page break

"How come he gets a chair?" Lament smiled at Beyond in greeting as 'L' made a beeline to his laptop, about half an hour ago 'L' had been hungry and Lament had followed him down to lunch.

"Why won't you both leave me in peace? This room was never a social place in the past, what and when did this change?"

Beyond smiled at 'L' in cold but almost fond understanding causing 'L' to shiver almost unnoticeably betraying his slight discomfort. "I will never leave you alone 'L' Never ever."

'L' looked vaguely discomforted at this response before all emotion drained once more from his face and returned to his default expression of bland interest.

"That certainly isn't an answer and what about Lament then?" He stared at Lament unblinkingly for a moment in the silence that followed. 'L' reluctantly expanded on his question.

"Beyond has been randomly breaking into my room ever since he arrived here but what about you." Lament smiled at the insomniac.

"Silly 'L' I was your birthday present from Beyond Birthday last year. You didn't think it was just the cake he brought for you?" 'L' spun his chair look at Beyond for confirmation.

Beyond smiled mockingly without showing his teeth, his eyes gleamed slightly red. "Never ever, ever 'L' Never."

Lament giggled childishly. "He is right 'L' spending too much time alone is bad for your mental health and can sometimes result in physical deterioration."

"And you are happy being a present?"

'L' asked dryly exasperated.

Lament shrugged. "Meh, what harm can playing along cause? Besides it's not like I have anything else to do and you are interesting."

Lament smiled a little wider spinning to face those red eyes.

"And the reason I get a chair is because the great 'L' asked for my help on a case."

Beyond grinned viciously. "You have permission to be in his room?"

"Yup."

"'L' I want permission to be in this room."

"And explain why I should allow you that?" 'L' asked calmly.

"Because I want a chair and because I will have a chair even without your permission so you might as well take the help. Besides I unlike Labyrinth am a letter and can make your life hell."

'L' took a bite of his cheese cake. "Okay then I suppose you might as well be involved."

'L' spun around smiling inwardly in satisfaction.

He had been planning on unleashing BB on this case to begin with.

Page break

Ryou Bakura stared at the brickwork on the wall opposite him.

Lament watched from the security camera with interest.

He certainly wasn't an ordinary looking teen.

Obviously British, albino, long hair and had a slight Asian cast around his eyes… And there was something off about the way he held himself it… Lament shook it off, whatever it was it would come to him later.

"So what now?" 'L' looked at lament blankly over the top of his teacup.

"Fine! I was just joking."

Lament laughed. On the way over 'L' had drilled the proper procedure into his head until he could recite it backwards. Lament walked over to the switch that activated the hidden microphone and switched it on. "Hello Ryou Bakura I am Lament Labyrinth, you have already been questioned by 'L' I am an associate of his that he has called in with hope I can provide a new perspective ." Bakura Ryou looked up startled but didn't reply.

Lament frowned and tried in Japanese. _"Strange they told me you could speak English."_

"_I can. I apologize." _The quiet but polite response made Lament frown for a moment.

"Right then!" Lament grinned, switching back to English.

The questioning began.

Page break

Beyond stared at the boy in the room through the glass.

Then he stared at Labyrinth.

Then he stared at the broken letters floating under the albino's shirt.

Then he stared at the broken letters surrounding the tiny golden eye shaped puzzle piece that Lament kept in his pocket whenever he left the house for any period of time.

Beyond smiled as he quietly eyed the matching numbers and the similar symbols that floated over both of their heads.

The Albino kid's numbers and letters went broken. They didn't move. They couldn't be read but they were not faded and they were certainly not broken.

This was interesting.

He wondered absently if the ring that was radiating malevolence from the other room was the source of the incidents.

Beyond smiled a little wider so his canines showed.

Page break

"Your name is Bakura Ryou correct?"

"Yes it is."

"Bakura may I ask you some questions?" Bakura nodded.

"Why is your friend in a coma?"

"… He played the game with me, I tried to warn him but…"

"Do you know why this keeps happening?"

"No but I want it to stop everyone avoids me and they all look scared and the teachers are quiet and the police people get angry but they try to hide it and I really want to go Home."

Lament nodded this was obvious. "I believe you."

Bakura looked up slightly surprised for a moment before lowering his head again.

Do you know what happens to them after they collapse?

"They fall down and go cold, then the ambulance comes and they don't move again."

"That is their bodies but what happens to them?" Lament tried on a chance that the idea that was rapidly developing in his mind was correct.

Bakura's head snapped up.

"What do you mean?" There was an obvious note of almost hope in his voice and Lament smiled as 'L' sat forwards. It was just like any riddle the answer required the right perspective in order to be found.

"What happens to 'Them'."

"Nothing happens to them except they fall down."Ryou Bakura spoke as if he was reciting but his empty eyes held a form of desperation as they stared unblinkingly at the mirrored glass wall.

"You are still talking about their bodies."

Bakura paused. "I don't know what happens to them."

Truth.

It was the truth clear as day that this was the honest truth. Lament was momentarily stumped by the sheer honesty of both the sentiment and the emotion behind it. He switched of the mike distractedly.

"He is telling the truth." 'L' spoke calmly once the mike was off.

"I know but there is something." A thought occurred.

The mike turned on again.

"Ryou Bakura, You do not know what happens to them but you do suspect something."

Ryou's head shot up but he did not say anything in response.

"Tell me what you think might happen to them."

"You know, don't you."

Lament's eyes narrowed in concentration. It wasn't a question but he still felt the need to answer. "I think I might have an idea but I am still not certain so tell me what happens anyway."

"But…"

"It's impossible isn't it? You keep asking yourself if it is real and you don't know."

"If I say anything He will punish me so I can't say anything!"

Fear.

It was defiantly was fear.

"Who will punish you?"

Ryou shook his head in denial.

The fear was the first real honest 'Deep' emotion that he had shown since he had been brought in apart from the regular mild abject sadness that was constant. things like suprize were fleeting and surface emotions that didnt reach his eyes but this fear...

"I can't say."

"Who will punish you?"

"No!"

"Who will punish you?"

The boy was struggling anyone could see it but lament kept asking the same question. Eventually Ryou Bakura sagged in his seat.

"Who will punish you Ryou Bakura?"

"I will."

Lament smiled in triumph. "Explain."

"He... He is me, but he isn't, but he so IS at the same time and when I am not there I still am... They stare at me all the time. Just standing there. They all look so scared; they can't move they just stand there staring at me accusingly… I take good care of them though. I try."

Beyond suddenly sat forwards a vicious look of excitement evident on his face.

Beyond's reaction should have made Lament feel uncomfortable but somehow like many other of the older boys actions it felt slightly comforting.

Tears started running down Ryou's face inside the white room. "Please can you help them?"

"Where are they now?"

"In... In my bedroom sitting on the shelf opposite my bed. Please."

"I will check immediately, thank you."

Page break

Icy cold malevolent amusement at his host's plight.

He was only doing his job.

His benevolent landlord oh so desperately wanted to have friends that wouldn't leave him.

And he had granted that wish.

Just like he was supposed to.

The icy cold viciously twisted logic that filled the beings psyche in a way that was oh so deliciously inhuman felt a wash of some form of dark fondness towards his poor little landlord.

'I forgive you, there will be no punishment this time my dear landlord.' Whispered through Ryou's mind causing him to unconsciously relax.

But there was a being in the other room that was interesting to this entity. A being with a pair of bright red eyes.

He sent an acknowledgement to the red-eyes and received one in return conveying an unspoken agreement.

It was necessary.

Page break

"We go in, we find whatever it is that is that is on that shelf and we take it to the investigator, is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

Bradley mumbled irritated as they approached the door to the small flat.

There was nobody home so they used the key they had from the last time they had removed a body from the residence. They were always the ones on the 'Bakura case' and it was a constant source of frustration to the both of them.

"Second door to the left." Maurice called as he moved through the living room.

"Yeah, yeah I hear you." He calmly opened the indicated door, flipped on the light and spent a good moment staring at the small figures carefully placed on the shelf.

"Maurice?"

"What is it? Did you find it?"

"I am pretty sure I have but… there is more than one and I need you to give me a hand moving them, for some reason I really don't want to touch these dolls."

"Dolls?"

"Yeah, but there is something strange about them… lets be very, careful as we move them Okay?"

Bradley on instinct took a couple of pictures of the dolls

Maurice frowned and finished checking the rest of the house.

And finally joined his partner inside the room.

He took one look at the shelf and promptly ran to the bath room to throw up.

The dolls looked like they were crying.

There were no tears because they were plastic but they were still defiantly crying.

Page break

"What should we do with him?" Watari quietly asked 'L' watching as Ryou Bakura solemnly introduced each individual doll to Lament who had broken protocol and entered the room with the suspect. Ryou had surprisingly shown no reaction to the revelation that his questioner was almost the same age as him.

Beyond answered Watari's question before 'L' got a chance to respond which was unusual because Beyond never spoke to any of the staff.

Ever.

"We keep him."

Watari blinked as he processed the words getting over the shock at being addressed by Beyond Birthday at all.

"Could you clarify a bit sir?"

Beyond shot him an irritated look and spoke to him as if he was a three year old.

"The boy talking to Labyrinth is akin to him. They are the same and so should not be separated. They are equivalent to family."

Seeing the look of shock and confusion on Watari's face Beyond rolled his eyes.

"Not blood family you idiot."

"I am afraid we do not have room for him at Whammy's master Beyond Birthday."

"He can stay in Laments room."

"That wasn't exactly what I meant sir."

"I know exactly what you meant. An exception can be made and he will stay with Labyrinth."

"Why?" Beyond looked flatly at 'L' who had asked the question.

"Because it is necessary."

'L' measured Beyond with his eyes. "Understood. Watari?"

"Yes sir?"

"Surely an exception can be made; he won't be a student, although teaching him will of course be necessary, he will be a guest of the house."

"… Very well then sir, I will see what I can do."

"Beyond?" 'L' asked when Watari had left.

"Yes."

"Are you certain that this is necessary?"

"Yes."

They both watched Lament and the now officially nameless boy who used to be Ryou Bakura play together with the quiet dolls in silence.

Page break

Okay this chapter is not quite as good as I want it to be but I don't know how to improve it so…

Yeah.

Please review?


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone. [waves]

Sorry I wanted to get this out by Christmas but this chapter refused to play nice.

It is done now thank goodness. But I am still not quite happy with it. [frown] Sorry about the lateness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death-note and I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh…

[Quick glossary: Nadir = lowest point OR The depths of despair. Nadir is the opposite of Zenith = Highest point OR Apex.]

Eight months later.

Ryou frowned to himself as he finished feeding the stray cats that had started gathering outside the fence surrounding Whammies house shortly after he had moved in. They had always used to gather outside his apartment and he was sure he recognized a few from back then, although that was of course impossible due to the distances involved.

He had been forced to grow up rather quickly after arriving at the genius factory as he had heard Lament describe it affectionately when they had been outside of other people's hearing range, as well as away from Matt's hidden microphones and cameras.

He had been informed when he had arrived that he, unlike the other students, had not earned his residence and as such was a guest that was both unwanted and unwelcome so he had better not grow too comfortable.

Part of this was indicated in the way he had kept his first name. He had his last name changed to Nadir though.

He had never liked the name Bakura it somehow seemed ironic in a painful sort of way that he couldn't really remember or understand.

Genii as a breed were fickle, and it was entirely possible that once the novelty wore off he would be deemed uninteresting and forgotten for some new object or being.

If Lament, 'L' and Beyond hadn't been higher priority students, he would not have been invited to stay at Whammies House.

Lament however had been very kind to him in a certain detached sort of way.

At the police station, unlike other times that he had been questioned, he had been escorted to a small interrogation room that was bare but for a small lap top with a large gothic 'L' emblazoned on a white background. A hidden speaker had informed him that his questioner was a detective who went by the name 'L' and the interrogation had begun.

After the questions were over he was taken to a secure facility where he spent the rest of his day and night.

He was perfectly aware he was being discreetly watched.

This quickly evolved into a routine that continued for a little over a week and a half. Ryou didn't mind much though. This 'L' man asked a lot of different questions and at least he wasn't alone.

His father loved him, Ryou knew this, but ever since his mother and little sister had died he had been distant both emotionally and physically. Ryou for the most part has ended up raising himself. Because of this he found it nice to be around people.

Then one day he entered the questioning room and the laptop was missing. The speaker, instead of projecting a heavily mechanical voice projected a much younger sounding voice with a slight Asian accent. He had introduced himself as Lament and he was going to be working temporarily with 'L'.

This man's voice and way of talking seemed familiar in a strange way and almost immediately knew what questions to ask that Ryou would have trouble answering. His 'passenger' as Ryou privately called him wouldn't let him say anything helpful without consequences.

When he had answered that the People were in his room he panicked until his passenger had shown strange approval of his answer.

Shortly after the questioning ended a smallish boy around the same age as himself had entered the room and it was revealed this was 'Lament'.

Somehow he had looked familiar and Ryou was oddly unsurprised about his pursuer's identity. Somehow it seemed right that the one to catch him would be the same age as him.

They had talked quietly of shared interests while they waited and when the captured people's dolls were brought in, he had introduced them all to Lament by name and in turn Lament had greeted them the same way.

A slightly older boy who Lament said was Beyond Birthday claimed that he and the strange familiar boy were so similar they might as well be kin. So he had been told he would be taken to Whammies house to stay with Lament.

Ryou had of course been fine with this, he would be able to stay with Lament who was already somehow important and additionally he might not be so lonely anymore.

Beyond Birthday however had terrified him.

Mello was rather scary as well but in a more normal way. The sort of scary you found on bullies and Ryou knew all about bullies. Matt was nice, he had ruffled Ryou's hair upon meeting him and told him that if he ever needed to talk to anyone his door was open. But Yugi had told him that Matt was largely responsible for security and that he has placed hidden surveillance devices everywhere so that he was always well informed about the comings and goings of the house. It was actually a game of Laments to remove Matt's bugs from his room.

The hiding places got trickier every time but he even got permission to scan the only two clean rooms of the house which as they discovered belonged to 'L' and Beyond.

This was for two rather obvious reasons, in the case of 'L' it was due to the obvious hero worship afforded to the insomniac but for Beyond it was simply because Matt and everyone else was terrified of the boy to a ridiculous decree.

Except for Lament. Even 'L' seemed wary of the red eyed boy, maybe not afraid of him but still wary of what he was and what he could and probably would do.

Lament though seemed wholly immune to the almost tangible aura of fear that surrounded 'B,B' like a blanket.

Beyond was chilling like the dark shape in your closet in the middle of the night. Those glowing red eyes were always filled with cruel amusement whenever they looked at him. It was like they saw everything he was and what he saw amused him. It was the feeling that one day you were going to trip and fall, but he was going to be standing there when it happened and you wouldn't be able to get back up.

Beyond reminded Ryou Nadir strongly of his passenger.

Most of all he hated the way he was drawn to him. It terrified him that he couldn't stop himself from feeling comforted whenever he saw him, it was disquieting. Ryou both understood and was confused about why the other two genii got along so well.

So it was even stranger that Beyond almost seemed to relish Laments presence even to the point of occasionally seeking him out which was a far cry from the usual universal bored indifference to everything around him.

Ryou finished scraping the can of cat food into the last dish and looked up sensing eyes on him. Beyond Birthday grinned at Ryou viciously, his eyes dancing with laughter from where he was perched watching from a tree branch. Like an overgrown vulture.

Ryou couldn't help but flinch when he discovered his watcher but he was Laments charge and he refused to embarrass the boy by showing poor manners, so he nodded in greeting before he hurried back to the house.

Lament was friends with Matt, Mello, 'L' and Beyond Birthday. No one else ever approached or was approached by the Labyrinth. He did however pay attention to the younger children in a distracted sort of way whenever he encountered them.

They suited him as well.

This was strange.

Page break

Linda was a good student at Whammies house and truth be told that said a lot about her character, her intellect, her problem solving skills but it mostly said a lot about her mental stability.

But there were things about the house and its other residents she couldn't quite explain to herself, things that defied rational linear minds with their careful linear rational thought patterns.

One of these things was Beyond Birthday.

Beyond Birthday was the third highest ranked student at the house, third because second was boring and not first because that was 'L's spot.

'L' was and is the top ranked and the best student in Whammies house but he was also the only kid in Wammy's House worthy of Beyond's attention. 'L' was the one Beyond would talk to, 'L' is the one Beyond follows around the house like a small child while grinning maniacally until after a week or two has passed 'L' would lose his patience and demand that Beyond Birthday should be forcibly removed from his presence, and Beyond would be removed while he laughed uproariously because he managed to crack the fabled and perfect 'L's composure.

'L' is the one Beyond mimics, the two of them look more and more like twins every day. Linda has absolutely no idea how L can handle the attention from the single scariest boy in the house. In a private poll that was ensured to remain private thanks to Matt's perfect discretion, Beyond was voted 'most likely to become a serial killer' in the house.

Although as it is 'L', he probably thinks of the whole situation the similarly to way Beyond does. It's a way of showing his deference, and at the same time Beyond was carefully entering L's previously undisturbed personal space to force his way into 'L's life and demand 'L's attention.

Because deep down Beyond Birthday was obsessed with 'L' just like every single other student of Whammies house.

Beyond has always scared Linda, partially because there was this feel around the boy like he was just waiting for the people around him to drop their guard and it was impossible to tell if he would respond by hugging his victim, or stabbing them in the heart.

Then Lament Labyrinth arrived.

The first impression the Linda had of the boy was a shy and tiny Japanese child with a polite and meek personality and crazy hair that made her feel slightly uncomfortable but also maternally protective.

Her second impression was when he had become more comfortable with Whammies house. Her impression was of a boy shaped being with large sharp purple eyes that emanated a bone deep sense of wrongness, the protective maternal instinct was still there but now it scared her.

But it had interested Beyond Birthday somehow because he had then approached the new boy and suggested a name. Lament.

When he declared his name was Lament Labyrinth the sense of wrongness grew stronger but it suited him, particularly the Labyrinth part.

Then the Labyrinth was presented by Beyond to 'L' and for the first time Linda pitied the insomniac genius , Labyrinth as he was quickly dubbed by the other students and staff, liked Beyond. He wasn't uncomfortable in his presence nor vice-versa and they both of them seemed more comfortable when they were around 'L'.

Beyond was evil. End of the discussion because everyone knew it and acknowledged the fact. The boy was a ticking time bomb of potential devastation. And they feared him.

'L' was good. 'L' was perfect. And 'L' was the opposite of Beyond. 'L' was going to save the world from itself and from everybody else for good measure because it was who he was. And they all without exception were in love with him completely and irrevocably.

Labyrinth was neutral. All Labyrinth was trying to do was piece by piece put himself back together because everyone knew that Lament Labyrinth was broken. Every time he was tested he was raised in his ranking, he had started at thirteen but now he was ninth.

Then Ryou Nadir arrived and he was like Labyrinth but sadder and less broken at the same time. And Beyond studied him, Lament held him and 'L' told the entire house to never play any form of game with him without supervision.

Ryou Nadir was tragic and beautiful like a perfect statue of ice on a hot day.

And Linda knew that deep down what those two represented was change.

And it terrified her almost as much as Beyond when he was in one of his rare moods.

Page break

Lament bit his bottom lip as he twisted a tiny gold piece into the correct position with a careful flick of his thumb on the right angle it slid into place with a gentle snick. Lament nodded in satisfaction and carefully wrote the information into an open writing pad sitting on the floor next to him.

Why am I doing this? The thought hit him suddenly and he rocked back onto his heels. When I was little I wished for friends and the writing on the box said that when it was finished it would grant my wish, but I don't have the same wish anymore so what wish shall it grant?

Lament gazed down at the gold, momentarily transfixed by the images of blood and carnage reflected by the gold sides of the unfinished puzzle.

Ryou burst through the library door and upon locating him, darted for his side effectively distracting Lament from the gory scenes trapped below the surface of his puzzle.

He moved over to let Ryou sit at his side. Beyond was watching him Lament mused and it seemed to bother Ryou Bakura a fair bit to see the red eyed boy whenever he glanced behind him.

Ryou unlike the other students wasn't uncomfortable around him. In fact he actually seemed to draw comfort from his closeness.

Lament knew perfectly well the effect he had on other people, it was not their fault. He makes sure that he plays with his puzzles where he won't bother anyone and let's his hair fall into his apparently discomforting eyes. Maybe Beyond was right when he told him that Nadir was practically the equivalent of a cousin or brother to Lament.

It certainly explained why Ryou Nadir reminded Lament oh so much of a little boy called Yugi Mouto who tried so desperately to be normal that he had almost succeeded.

Almost.

He rather doubts it makes a difference though. Ryou would eventually embrace what made him like Lament, now that he was away from normal people he didn't have to try as hard to be like them.

So he shifted over and passed him a book on the occult, which seemed to be of the largest interest to the albino boy, Ryou curled up beside Lament who was intently waiting for the day he would let go of the mask that was Ryou and properly become 'Nadir'.

Page break

"Lament Labyrinth you have a phone call."

Lament looked up from his bowl of raspberries in surprise before making his way over to the phone being offered by one of the caretakers.

"Hello?" Lament asked curiously into the mouthpiece.

"Would this be Lament Labyrinth I am speaking to?"

"Yes."

"Excellent, my clients would like to offer you a job."

Lament paused for a moment before continuing in a rather bemused tone. "And what would this job entail exactly?"

"My client is a general in the U.S air force and is quite respected in his field; recently he had come into contact with an item that seems to have some… unusual properties. We asked around and a Lady mentioned your name a Professor Briar?"

Lament laughed to himself quietly. Professor Briar was a Mortician that he had contacted after he had read an article that had managed to spur his interest. The Professor had proven to be a rather conflicted sort of person with a rather unusual problem and Lament had offered to help out with resolving it.

It had taken three bottles of Vodka dumped onto a river, a gallon of chicken blood and an Ex-Voodoo priestess who had turned roman catholic before the problem was resolved but eventually the "Issue" was shut down to everyone's satisfaction.

Lament had stayed in irregular contact with Professor Briar afterwards and every now and then she would here about a problem someone was having that she thought might interest him. Apparently she had friends in the military.

"And if I accept?"

"If you accept then depending on the outcome of the job we might want to hire you as a consultant."

"Describe the job please."

Page break

Beyond dreamt of snow.

Of ice and glaciers.

Of bodies frozen in the same.

Of a tiny black book and a charcoal pencil, that he didn't quite recognize, attached by a knotted length of wool.

Of being relevant and acknowledged by 'L'.

Then he dreamt of bones bleached by the sun dangling from a random ceiling by lengths of rusted barbed wire.

Not long ago he had dreamt of all of this as well as visions of becoming the one that 'L' would be unable to catch. The case he would be unable to solve.

He wanted to be acknowledged by his obsession but he also wanted to survive and he almost lost sight of the latter ideal.

But watching Ryou follow Lament around had made him start thinking about his plans; if he followed that path then he would die.

Life isn't fair, and death isn't fair. If there was an afterlife it sure wouldn't be a fair one. Dying would achieve nothing, least of all 'L's acknowledgement.

So now he needed a new path.

So instead he dreamt of a path with a good view of the coming carnage.

And when he woke he laughed and laughed and laughed.

Page break

Mr. Bakura, Ryou Bakura's father was a very normal man in most ways.

He was a very happily married man with a beautiful wife, an adorable daughter and a wonderful son. Life had been good, he wasn't home as much as he would have liked due to his job as a successful archeologist but he loved his job as well so a balance was struck.

Then the accident had happened.

It had been horrible and his heart had shattered, but at least his son was still alive. He had caught the first plane home and had looked around anxiously for his son.

He had found a wraith, surely this pale shadow who stood quietly in the garden with long white hair framing him could not have been a human child. But once he had coaxed the child inside and he was illuminated by artificial light, he had found that it was just that his son had become both taller, slimmer and had grown out his hair since his last visit home. But it was still definitely the same child that he had held as a baby.

They had gone to the funeral and afterwards he had organized to go on leave from his job so he could raise his son properly.

Days and weeks passed and slowly the son he had been so relieved to find alive slowly revealed that his first impression of a silent wraith had been slightly more accurate than he was comfortable with.

Character traits he would have found positive in other children seemed to promote discomfort when displayed by Ryou.

He was quiet, he was well mannered and well behaved, he was honest and generous and kind. The ghostly impression inspired by his albino skin and white hair was only accentuated by the fact that he was slightly too pretty for a young boy and he always looked so sad.

He was damaged in some irreversible and incomprehensible way. His wife had recognized it before her death but had managed to love him just the same anyway, but it was a little bit much for his father to bear so soon after the loss that had destroyed his world.

Before long he hired a nanny to watch the boy and had left to continue his work. The nanny soon quit and he returned only to hire a new one then left again. This repeated until he no longer returned when the nanny's left but hired new ones over the phone.

He sent his son interesting gifts from his excavations, a strange piece of quarts, an Egyptian broach, a hand woven scarf he had found in a marketplace and once a gold necklace that depicted an eye on a pyramid inside a ring with several tapering pieces of gold hanging from the bottom.

School reports, photos and post cards were sent to him.

Then the incidents started and he was horrified as the authorities tried to discover exactly what had happened to the children that collapsed after playing with his son. But the boy's father hadn't been as surprised as he should have been. Regardless he held his son as he cried himself to sleep after each of the incidents.

Eventually though after a few years he stopped returning even for those.

He had seen his son for two weeks at Christmas for years. After time passed he occasionally even missed those occasions.

One day years later he received a letter informing him that his son was staying in a prestigious orphanage for the gifted after he had been cleared of one of the 'Incidents'. He was stunned and immediately rang the number included and carefully explained that his son was not an orphan and he was unaware of signing any papers.

He was then informed that Ryou was staying as some form of guest of the students and was receiving a proper education regardless because there was no indication of how long he would be staying.

When he we protested Mr. Bakura was horrified when he was diplomatically informed that the nanny he had last hired had left three years ago without notice and nobody had told him, his son had been living alone for a long time. And if he didn't want to be investigated for abandonment then he shouldn't raise too much of a fuss. This wasn't how the conversation was worded but Mr. Bakura could easily read through the lines.

He quietly did some research on this 'Whammies House' and turned up that it was defiantly upper-class and to the extent of his knowledge legal. Its students invariably either became important persons after graduation or they disappeared into anonymity but were equally successful in a far different way.

It occurred to him that this situation could very likely be better for his son's wellbeing and future than public schooling and an empty home but it was difficult to know exactly what the situation entailed.

So he decided to pay a visit to investigate and sign the papers to make this fully legal if it was appropriate.

But whatever he had been expecting this was not it.

This mansion before him, with its silver shaded gate, private chapel and what looks like an extensive garden, is most definitely not what he imagines when he thinks of orphanages.

He didn't have very long to gaze in wonder when the intercom in the stone frame of the gate buzzes and male voice asked what his business was at the house. Upon informing the man that he was Ryou Bakura's father and he was there to make certain that this was truly an appropriate environment for his son to be staying in, there was a heavy silence before the man informed him a message had been sent up to the house and was there any proof of his identity?

About fifteen minutes later three figures on the other side of the gate approach. His son and a rather creepy boy with red eyes were flanking an Asian looking boy with strange hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Page break

An hour and a half later Mr. Bakura walked away from the school in a daze. The Asian boy's name had been Lament and he had controlled the meeting from the start, his son Ryou had followed Laments lead, submissively accepting what Lament had dictated unconditionally.

The last boy was just there to watch for his own amusement apparently because he hadn't said anything just stared at him with a malicious smile.

Papers had been pressed on him and he had signed.

Those violet-blue eyes were so old and so sad… he shuddered. And his son seemed to glow with quiet and somehow icy contentment.

The man wasn't planning on coming back any time soon.

Page break

Ryou watched his father leave from a window near where Lament was sitting.

A malevolent interest from his passenger stirred in the back of his mind and cold laughter echoed through the link.

Lament hummed to himself. "Are you well?"

"Yes." Ryou answered without looking.

"I have been offered a job that might take me out of the country on occasion, I am leaving on Thursday would you be interested in coming with me?"

Ryou smiled at Lament. "I will follow you."

Lament nodded thoughtfully before rising to wander back to his room.

Ryou turned back to the window to watch the car drive away, along with the last possibility of leaving this new path alongside Lament Labyrinth.

Now that it was definite that he would not be leaving he would have to find some way to make himself useful.

Maybe Matt would have some idea's…

End of chapter

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Hi.

I am very sorry to anyone who has bothered to keep an eye on my work.

I am afraid I am on Hiatus. None of my stories have been updated in years. I apologize for any inconvenience. And I am sorry I neglected to put this note up earlier.

I hope you are all well.

B.M.13


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